Wildfires spread across Andong in North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea on Tuesday. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese leaders on March 26 sent messages of sympathy to the Republic of Korea (RoK) following severe wildfires in the country’s southeastern regions, which caused significant loss of life and property, and environmental damage.

State President Lương Cường and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính conveyed their sympathy to Acting President Han Duck-soo, while National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn sent a message of sympathy to his Korean counterpart Woo Won-shik.

On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn extended his sympathy to Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul.

How South Korea's massive wildfires started 

The massive wave of wildfires ravaging across South Korea's southeastern region is believed to have started from simple mistakes by grave visitors, farmers, welders and even from burning a bag of chips near a valley.

One of the two sources of the blaze in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, which has been responsible for most of the 24 deaths that have occurred in the series of fires as of Wednesday evening, is believed to have originated from a spark started by a person visiting the grave of one of their ancestors in Anpyeong-eup on Saturday last week.

The person confessed to having used a lighter on the mountainside, which became one of the epicentres of the wildfires that spread to nearby areas, carried by strong winds.

It is unclear what started the other fire in Angye-myeon later that day, although it is believed to have originated near a freeway.

Four deaths occurred in the fires that started at Sancheong-gun of the same province on Friday last week, which spread to affect nearby Hadong-gun and the city of Jinju. It was found to have started from a brush cutter at a farm in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun.

Another fire that is yet to be contained originated in Ulju-gun, Ulsan Metropolitan City, and is believed to have started from a welding operation at a farm on Saturday.

The Gimhae fire that started on Saturday was fully extinguished on Tuesday before reigniting on Wednesday afternoon on a smaller scale, started from a small fire that a graveyard keeper used to burn a bag of chips. The fire burned a relatively small area of land, although 148 people were forced to evacuate.

Another small fire in Hamyang-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, started from sparks from a welding job on Saturday, by a man in his 60s repairing a fence to keep out wild animals. The fire was put out later that day.

Investigation of the causes of other fires is underway, with most of them suspected to have started from carelessness. The lack of humidity and high temperatures in the region contributed to the wildfires becoming one of the worst disasters in the country’s history.

Why damage from the deadly fires is so high

According to South Korea's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, a total of 24 people had died in the wildfires and 26 had been injured as of 4pm Wednesday.

Since Friday last week, the wildfires have burned down a total of 17,534 hectares of forest, with Uiseong County and Andong in North Gyeongsang Province suffering the most damage, accounting for 15,158 hectares. As of press time, 209 homes, factories, temples and cultural properties in the southeastern region have also suffered damage.

A majority of those who died were found to be older people, mostly aged 60 and above, who faced difficulties in quickly evacuating to safety.

In Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, three residents of a senior care home died when the vehicle they were evacuating in exploded after being engulfed in flames. All three were in their 80s and had mobility issues. A total of six people were in the vehicle at the time, including three care workers.

An elderly couple in their 80s was also found dead on a road heading downhill from their home in Yeongdeok. Authorities believe the couple was caught in the flames while trying to evacuate.

In Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province, two civilians in their 70s and 80s were found dead in their homes. In Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, a woman in her 50s and another in her 70s were also found dead at a yard in front of their homes.

As most of those affected were found to have died while attempting to flee from the fires, authorities faced criticism for failing to help civilians flee to safety.

Authorities also faced criticism for sending out emergency mobile alerts too late, failing to clearly inform people of nearby evacuation centers or proactively assist in early evacuations before the wildfires reached the villages.

According to the South Korean National Institute of Forest Science, large forest fires will become more frequent as climate change intensifies. Climate factors that contribute to wildfires include humidity, temperature and wind speed, according to the institute.

Climate change leads to higher global temperatures, which can dry out forests and make them more susceptible to fires. Higher temperatures increase the rate of evaporation, reducing soil moisture and drying out vegetation, allowing fires to ignite and spread. Stronger wind patterns may also be observed due to climate change, which can make fires spread more quickly and intensely, making it harder to control fires once they start.

The southeastern region’s wildfires from Saturday intensified mainly due to extremely dry conditions and strong winds.

From Wednesday evening, rain is expected to begin on Jeju Island before spreading to the southern parts of the Korean mainland, including North Jeolla Province and the North and South Gyeongsang provinces, on Thursday.

However, the expected precipitation amounts may be too little to effectively suppress the ongoing fires. — THE KOREA HERALD/ANN/VNA